cted your brain, and you've had a bad time--a very bad
time--of being completely off your balance; the violent stage being
followed by loss of memory, and for a time, though mercifully you knew
nothing about it, complete loss of sight. But these things returned, one
by one; and, as soon as you were ready for it, you awoke to
consciousness, memory, and reason. There is no possible fear of the
return of any of the symptoms, unless you come again in contact with the
poison; hardly likely, as it attacked you in Central Africa. Of course,
as I say, we shall never know precisely what the poison was."

Then Ronnie spoke, suddenly. "It was the Upas tree," he said. "I camped
near it. My nightmares began that night. I never felt well, from that
hour."

"Rubbish!" said Dr. Dick. "More likely a poisonous swamp. The Upas tree
is a myth."

"Not at all," insisted Ronnie. "It is a horrid reality. I had seen the
one in Kew Gardens. I recognised it directly, yet I camped in its
shadow. Dick, do you know what the Upas stands for?"

"What?"

"Selfishness! It stands for any one who is utterly, preposterously,
altogether, selfish."

"Oh, buck up old man!" cried Dick. "We are all selfish--every mother's
son of us! Perhaps that's why! Most men's mothers spoil them, and their
wives continue the process. But you will be selfish with a vengeance, if
you don't buck up and give that splendid wife of yours a good time now.
She has been through--such a lot. Ronnie, you will never quite
realise--well, _I_ never knew such a woman, excepting, perhaps, Mrs.
Dalmain; and of course she has not your wife's beauty. I haven't the
smallest intention of ever coming under the yoke myself. But I assure
you, old chap, if you had pegged out, as you once or twice seemed likely
to do, I should have had a jolly good try as to whether I couldn't chip
in, by-and-by."

"Confound you!" said Ronnie. But he laughed, and felt better.

* * * * *

Dr. Dick saw Helen alone.

"Well," he said, "so we've pulled him through. Ronnie's all right now.
No more need for watching and planning, and guarding; in fact, the less
he realises the precautions which were necessary, the better. I shall
take Truscott back to town with me. He seems to have done awfully well.
I suppose you have no complaints. Why don't you hire a car and run
straight back home with Ronnie this afternoon. Think what a jolly
Christmas you might have. Show him the boy as a Ch